Broadly, the invention or inventions disclosed herein are directed to storage and display units providing card bins for visible storage of cards which are readily accessible for removal as cards are sold, and providing space for a card of the type as contained in each card bin for displaying the card, and the methods of making such units. Units are preferably made of a material such as high density polyethylene, rendering it much more resistant to the currently commonly used cardboard units when it is accidentally dropped. They may also be made of well-known acrylic material. Units embodying the invention provide arrangements for holding the cards and accessing them when a sale is being made, providing easy access so that the sales person no longer needs to pick up the entire unit to retrieve a card, thus making it much less likely that the unit will be dropped. Experience has shown that this is a continuing problem with current card holding units. Each individual unit embodying the inventon is so constructed that a plurality of units may be attached together to form a larger unit having more storage bins and capable of various configurations. The units may be attached in vertical or horizontal alignment or in a combination of both alignments. Thus a single unit may become part of a larger compound unit comprised of two or more single units. Units may be secured to a wall, shelf, counter or other device, including pegboard, for example, so that the units are not free-standing and therefore tempting sales persons, or others, to pick up the entire unit. However, they may also be used as free-standing units when desired.
The invention includes products and processes of making same which are the subject of this utility patent application, and designs which may be the subject of one or more design patent applications.
Therefore, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a storage and display single unit for holding and displaying cards and the like for sale and adapted to be attached to other of said similar single units to form a multi-unit storage and display unit. Such a single unit comprises a unit body having a bottom, a back side, a top, left and right side panels, and a front side. The front side has at least one generally T-shaped opening having an upper part extending across at least a portion of the front side and a lower part extending downwardly from the opening upper part so as to terminate at least near the unit body bottom. The T-shaped opening is defined by spaced parts of the front side and opens into the interior of the unit and defines the front of a bin in which a number of cards may be installed therein by insertion through the opening so as to lie flat in the bin in a stack, and may be removed by insertion of a finger inserted through the downwardly extending lower part of the T-shaped opening to lift one or more of the cards upwardly in the bin and then outwardly through the across-extending upper part of the T-shaped opening.
A more specific object of the invention is to make a single unit of the above-described type of a substantially transparent plastic such as Plexiglass(trademark) and similar acrylics, nylon, high density propylene, Lucite(trademark), etc., so that any cards displayed therein may be visually discernible from the exterior of said single unit. When the term xe2x80x9csubstantially transparentxe2x80x9d is used, it means that an object in facing near-engagement or actual engagement with one side of a plastic part can be readily identified and any words thereon read through the plastic. It therefore will include clear as well as colored plastic so long as it permits such objects to be seen as above described.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of either a single bin in one unit or a plurality of bins arranged side-by-side within a unit.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a single unit that has divider panels located intermediate its left and right side panels. Such intermediate divider panels are secured to back, bottom and front and cooperate with the back, bottom and front to define a plurality of said bins, each of the bins having a T-shaped opening as earlier described so that different cards may be stored, displayed in and selectively removed from different bins. Any particular single unit may be made with anywhere from one bin to as many bins as may be desired. However, for convenience, it is usually best to provide anywhere from one bin to about four or five bins as a typical maximum, and to simply attach two or more single units together if more bins are desired. It has been found to be somewhat optimum to provide three bins per unit, but the invention is not limited to that number.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cover hinged to the top of a unit for swingable movement from a vertical position, in which the one or more T-shaped openings, depending upon the number of bins, are covered by the cover, to an open position in which the one or more T-shaped openings are at least sufficiently open and uncovered by the cover so as to permit the installation and removal of cards into and from the one or more bins. It is also preferable that the cover has a key-operated security lock thereon with a movable locking bar movable about the lock axis by key action only from an unlocked position to a locked position and back to an unlocked position, the locked position being such position that the lock axis extends through a T-shaped opening and the locking bar engages the bin interior side of at least one of the spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening while the cover is in its vertical position covering the T-shaped opening. The lock bar is also movable by the key lock to a position wherein it is disengaged from the at least one of the spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening and is in alignment with a part of the T-shaped opening so as to permit the cover to be swung to its position wherein the T-shaped opening, or openings in the case of a plurality of bins having been provided, is uncovered to permit the installation and removal of cards into and from the one or more bins. The lockable and unlockable cover thus keeps the cards secure from inadvertent or intentionally impermissible removement from any bin.
Another object of the invention is to provide fastener-receiving openings through the top, bottom and side panels arranged in such matching relation that two or more of the single units may be secured together by fastener means extending through aligned ones of the openings in either vertical or horizontal relation to form a larger unit made up of a plurality of individual single units.
Yet another object of the invention is to have the lock bar extending to only one side of the lock axis so as to be engageable with and disengageable from only one of the at least one of the spaced parts of the unit front defining a T-shaped opening. The lock bar is rotated only about 90xc2x0 in arc from its engageable position to its disengageable position so that, as the cover is raised, the lock bar exits the bin through the vertical part of the T-shaped opening. Alternatively, the bar may extend to both sides of the lock axis so as to be engageable with and disengageable from both of the two spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening. Such a lock bar then is rotated about 180xc2x0 in arc from its engageable position to its disengageable position when the unit is to be unlocked. If desired, the bar may be formed substantially as a semi-circle and in its unlocked position is above the lock axis when it is in the unlocked position so as to be in alignment with the T-shaped opening upper part and in disengageable relation with the spaced parts of the front side defining the T-shaped opening. When it is in its locked position it extends below the lock axis so as to be in engageable relation with both of the two spaced parts of the front side defining the T-shaped opening, preventing swinging movement of the cover to uncover the T-shaped opening as well as any other T-shaped openings for additional bins.
In any of these locking arrangements, only one lock and lock bar is required to lock a cover over several bins if the unit has several bins.
Another feature of the invention which may be used is the provision of a card-retainable strip secured to the cover on the side thereof facing the bin or bins when the cover is covering all T-shaped openings, permitting one side of a card retained therein to be visually observed by a customer through the transparent cover while the cover covers the T-shaped openings. Any cards in the one or more bins are accessible to a clerk because the one or more bins are openable only by a clerk having a key for operating the key lock, thereby providing security against unauthorized removal of a card from any bin. Alternatively or in addition, a card-retainable strip may be secured to the unit back on the side thereof facing the bin or bins, permitting one side of a card retained therein to be visually observed through the transparent back, so that the back may be the side of the unit seen by a customer and the closed cover being the side being accessible to a clerk and openable by a clerk having a key for operating the key lock, thereby providing greater security against unauthorized removal of a card from any bin. This latter arrangement is very desirable when the unit is sitting on a counter top with the customer on one side and a clerk on the other side.
Another feature of the invention is the provision of a card-retainable strip secured to unit back and/or to the cover on the side thereof facing the bin, permitting one side of a card retained therein to be visually observed through the back or the cover, or both. When such a card is visible through the back, the back may be the side of the unit seen by a customer and the closed cover being the side being accessible to a clerk and openable by a clerk having a key for operating the key lock, thereby providing greater security against unauthorized removal of a card from said bin. When there is a card visible through the back and another one of the same issue visible through the closed cover, both the customer and the clerk have an opportunity to quickly identify the cards in the particular bin relating to those cards. When there is a card visible through only the closed cover, the customer can still identify the particular in that related bin, and if there are such cards placed to be seen through the closed cover for each bin covered by the cover, the customer can see all of them and make a choice as to the card he prefers. The clerk can then either move the unit around so that the closed cover faces him, and then unlock it to remove the card of the customer""s choice, or be on the same side of the unit as the customer, and so remove the card selected.
A feature that may be incorporated in a unit described above is the provision of a second bottom located below the unit bottom, with the back and side panels and front extending below the unit bottom and having the second bottom secured thereto to provide a storage shelf openable through one of the back panel and front extensions on the back or front of said unit so as to have access to the storage shelf only on the side thereof which is oriented to face a clerk and not a customer.
Another object and feature of the invention is the provision of larger storage and display unit formed by a combination of single units which are secured together by fastening means extending through aligned ones of said openings formed in one or more of the side panels and the top and the bottom.
More specificly, such a larger unit may be formed by a combination of single units which are secured together by fastening means extending through at least some of the openings formed in the sides, top and bottom of two adjacent ones of such single units that are aligned with each other for the passage of fastening means therethrough.
A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a larger storage and display unit formed by a combination of a plurality single storage and display units secured together,
at least a first one of the single storage and display unit comprising a unit body having a bottom, a back side, a top, left and right side panels, and a front side, the front side having at least one generally T-shaped opening having an upper part extending across at least a portion of the front side and a lower part extending downwardly from the opening upper part so as to terminate at least near to the unit body bottom, the T-shaped opening being defined by spaced parts of the front side and opening into the interior of the unit and defining the front of a bin in which a number of cards may be installed therein by insertion through the T-shaped opening so as to lie flat in the bin. One or more of these cards may be removed by insertion of a finger inserted through the downwardly extending lower part of the T-shaped opening to lift one or more of the cards upwardly in the bin and then outwardly through the across-extending upper part of the T-shaped opening. The top, bottom and side panels have fastener-receiving openings therethrough arranged in such matching relation that two or more of the single units may be secured together in either vertical or horizontal relation to form a larger unit made up of a plurality of the single units. At least a second one of the single storage and display units more specificly comprises another of the first one of the single storage and display units having divider panels located intermediate the unit""s left and right side panels and secured to the unit back, bottom and front. These divider or intermediate panels cooperate with the back, bottom and front to define a plurality of bins, each of these bins having a T-shaped opening as described above so that different cards may be stored, displayed in and selectively removed from different bins. Also, each of the single storage and display units has a hinged lockable cover having a closed position covering the T-shaped openings of that unit. This cover is movable to an unlocked open position wherein the T-shaped openings of that unit are uncovered to provide access to the unit""s bins through the T-shaped openings to permit the insertion and removal of cards into and out of the bins. Thus the particular overall appearance and arrangement of such a larger storage and display unit is controlled at least in part by the number of bins in each of single storage and display units, the placement of various single storage and display units relative to each other, and the material of which any particular single storage and display unit is made.
The invention also includes various processes or methods of making units of the type described above. These processes or methods include:
A first process of making and assembling a storage and display single unit of a type above described comprising the steps of:
(1) creating a first planar pattern for the bottom, back side and front side; (2) precisely cutting a single substantially transparent plastic part from a planar sheet of plastic having a thermoplastic pliable characteristic permitting bending of the plastic part at controlled bending radii under controlled applied heat; (3) bending the single plastic part under controlled applied heat applied at the areas thereof joining the bottom to the back side and to the front side at controlled radii of bending so that the planes of the back side and the front side are parallel in spaced relation to each other and are perpendicular to the plane of the bottom; (4) cooling the single plastic part to cool the material thereof at the points thereof having had applied heat until the single plastic part is stable in the parallel and perpendicular relationships set forth and is no longer thermoplasticly pliable so as to be bendable as was done in step (3); (5) creating a second planar pattern for the left and right side panels; (6) precisely cutting the left and right side panels from a planar sheet made of the same plastic as the single plastic part was cut; and (7), after step (4) has been completed, securing the left and right side panels to the single plastic part to provide closed side panels with at least one interior bin so enclosed.
It is within the purview of the invention to heat the single plastic part at the pliable bending areas through pipes conducting a heated liquid or gaseous material, or heated rods which may be internally heated electricly or externally heated, or by applying heat from the exterior of the single plastic part on the side thereof opposite the jig""s bending pipes or rods; and to cool the pliably heated and bent parts of the single plastic part by forced cold air cooling, flowing cooled liquid or gaseous material through the jig pipes after the pliable bending steps have been completed so as to cool the pipes and through them cool the bent areas of the single plastic part, exposing the entire now-bent single plastic part, with or without the jig, in a liquid or gaseous cooling bath, or allowing it to be air-cooled so that it is no longer thermoplasticly pliable.
Also, a further detailed process of the above first process, here identified as a second process, in which (1) the fifth step of the above first process also includes creating a pattern for one or more intermediate panels; (2) the sixth step of the above first process also includes precisely cutting the one or more intermediate panels from said planar plastic sheet; (3) and the seventh step of the above first process also includes attaching the one or more intermediate panels in spaced relation between the left and right side panels to define therewith and with any adjacent two intermediate panels two or more interior bins adapted to hold cards.
Another more detailed process relating to the process identified above as the second process, and here identified as a s third process, in which (1) the first step of the above-identified first process also includes a top; (2) the third step of the above-identified first process also includes heating and bending the single plastic part at the area thereof joining the back side to the top so that the planes of the bottom and the top are parallel and are perpendicular to the plane of the back side; (3) the fifth step of the above-identified first process also includes creating a pattern for one or more intermediate panels; (4) the sixth step of the above-identified first process also includes precisely cutting the one or more intermediate panels from the planar sheet; and (5) the seventh step of the above-identified first process also includes attaching the one or more intermediate panels in spaced relation between the left and right side panels to define therewith and with any adjacent two intermediate panels two or more interior bins.
Still another more detailed process of the above-identified third process, here identified as the fourth process, in which the following additional steps are performed: (6) providing a plastic panel of the same material as the other panels as a cover for the front side of the storage and display unit; and (7) providing a hinge along one edge of the cover panel and securing same to the cover panel and also to the top in such a position that the top is movable along the axis of the hinge from a vertical position in which the unit front side is covered to a position where the one or more bins are sufficiently uncovered to be able to insert and remove cards into and from the one or more bins.
Still another more detailed process of the process of identified above as the fourth process, in which the following additional step is performed: (8) attaching a card-retainable strip to at least one of the back side and the cover, on the bin interior side thereof in a manner wherein when one or more cards are retained therein in such position that they can be seen in relation to the bin or bins with which they are generally aligned to provide an external view of one side of the one or more cards as a visual indication of the cards that would be in the one or more bins.